Til We Run Out of Road
by LEJ1
Summary: TristanDuke if you squint to see it. AU. A descriptive narrative involving the boys meeting with a mututal love for their wheels, Duke's Caddy and Tristan's bike.


'**Til We Run Out of Road **

Everyone said that wheels made the man.

Oh, sure, Duke's wheels were impressive: A Cadillac convertible, sea-green and classy, good year and excellent makeSimply put, it was four solid tons of refined, exquisite style. It wasn't every day a car like this could be seen cruising the streets of Domino City, a small, out-of-the-way town mostly built around its gaming companies. Hell, it wasn't common to see this kind of glamour _anywhere_, really, and its uniqueness was a characteristic that Duke himself possessed.

Duke, seventeen years old and a year away from graduating from Domino High, was not just what his car inferred that he wasoh, no, he was all that and much more. As for his appearance, it made girls swoon and boys devilishly jealous. Slim and almost six feet tall, he, along with his air of smug grace, filled every room that he entered, his ego so potent that one could almost _see _it. He possessed long black hair, most of which was pulled by in a tight ponytail, and his eyes were electric green, pupils small like pinpricks. Gold bracelets hung loosely on his wrists, and his left ear was pierced, a white and black die hanging from long, silver earring there. Snug leather pants and equally fitting tank tops were frequently his daily attire, and a thin, black harlequin line was painted vertically beneath his left eye each morning. Most notably, at any time, he could flash a hot, sizzling smirk that could practically melt fudge. In short: he was beyond sexy and he knew it well.

In terms of personality, he was smooth, charming to the ladies, seducing them with his soft words and his unforced chivalrya crowd of girls followed him almost everywhere he went. Everyone called him a dragon, for he could set fire to whomever he pleased. But he could never stay with one girl too longhe wasn't a fan of commitment, not by any means. Because of his popularity, he was arrogant, knew he was the best and didn't bother to hold back from telling the world just that. Duke was the kind of kid who had places to go, hearts to break, and dice to rolland no one could stop him from doing just that. He was handsome, suave, cocky, and keenhe knew he was a great gift to mankind and no one's opinion could dissuade him otherwise.

As for with his fellow male students… he was loathed. The boys hated him, especially because if Duke so chose, he could steal away any of their girlfriends that he pleased, and he often did. Duke had no friends among them, but assured himself that he was happily content just with the ladies around him.

…That is, until Tristan came along.

Tristan was a tall, lanky sixteen-year-old with short-cropped brunette hair, hazel eyes, and a wide, lop-sided grin that was silly and goofy, but charming all at the same time. More often than not, his only garb consisted of snug jeans, old t-shirts, and worn work boots, but he liked it that wayhe was comfortable, and that's what mattered to him. He wore no jewelry, no hats, no watch, no other accessories at all, and would typically be considered an 'average' teenager of his time.

Tristan's personality was more laid back, calm, unless, of course, he was provoked. Oh, he was _intense _when he had to be, and his personality might have been boring, predictable, if he wasn't. He was like a tiger, calm until he or his territory was threatenedAnyone with a brain knew not to threaten a tiger, just as everyone knew not to threaten Tristan. In middle school, he'd been a bit of a trouble-maker, getting in fights constantly, but now, he knew how to hold back and to only fight when absolutely necessary. He was certainly not the brightest student at Domino High, not by any means, but he had a close group of friends, and they made him happy, despite the dislike that he had for his school work. He didn't have a girlfriend, because girls just didn't seem to be interested in the 'every-day' kind of kid that Tristan indeed was.

And not only that, Tristan had some fine wheels, too: a sleek, masculine motorcycle, black and silver, one of the later models made in 1979. It was fast, boyish, and 'popped wheelies' at willthe bike was commonly known as "the bane of teenage insurance policies." And Tristan loved this bike, cleaned it often, took care of it as best he could, even called it his 'baby.' Because of his liking of that bike, many gave him the nickname of 'Bikerboy.' And he had many similarities to that bike: Both were boyish, powerful and could be dangerous and daring.

Tristan was a cowboy to Duke's playboy, a tiger to Duke's dragon. Opposites in many ways, but they had their wheelsthat's what drew them together at first.

A few weeks after school had started up in the fall at Domino High was when they first spotted each other. They both had parking spaces reserved in the student lot, Duke's nearer to the school because he was a year older than Tristan, and closer still because students with exceptional grades in their academics were given the privilege of the best spots. Tristan on the other hand was near the back of the lot, but he didn't mind'beats walking to school' was his logic. On this particular day, a Thursday, fifteen minutes before the first school bell would ring, they pulled into the lot at roughly the same time, parked in their respective spots, killed their engines and got out of or off of their vehicles.

Tristan was late. He was supposed to have come in early to speak with Mrs. Adams, his Math teacher, about making up an exam he'd failed miserably, and in the back of his mind as he placed his keys in his pocket, he wondered if she would still let him retake that test even though he hadn't arrived at school as early as he'd planned. Taking up his book bag and slinging it onto his back, he began running briskly up toward the school building, and would have made it there, but…

He spotted Duke's Caddy. Dead in his tracks, he stopped and turned to face the car, eyes widening just a touch with admirationhe could definitely appreciate a fine car. Duke was still there, standing outside the car beside the driver-side door, bent a little at the waist, fixing his hair in the side mirror. After a few seconds, the raven-haired boy flicked his gaze up, saw Tristan, and he straightened, placing his hands on his hips and giving the other boy that infamous smirk.

The older boy questioned whether or not Tristan liked what he saw, the brunette replying of course with a sincere approvaldamn fine car, he decided. Amused with the other's interest, Duke began pointing out various features the car possessed, Tristan listening, soaking it all up. The brunette was fond of cars, and knew a lot about them, and Duke, smug, ego boosting further just with the fact that he owned such an amazing car, was rather tickled that he could tell someone else about his carhis female followers, after all, were more often than not after his looks, not his wheels.

Tristan was enthralled. Math test forgotten, he asked Duke if the boys could get together sometime to look at the car further, for honestly, Tristan thought it would be amazing to get a look under its hood to see all of the working inside. Amused still, the other boy agreed, beyond surprised at the whole conversation, really; He figured Tristan must not have known about who he was, otherwise he might not have been so open and talkative.

The boys met up after school, talked cars mostly. Tristan introduced Duke to his 'baby,' and Duke smirked with approval when he saw it. Unknown to them at that point was that a steadily growing friendship between the two was starting, one that would last for years upon years, all started because of that car and that bike.

The brunette asked if he could take the Caddy for a spin, and Duke replied affirmatively, giving the other boy permission to drive until they ran out of road.


End file.
